Epidemiologic Features and Control Measures during Monkeypox Outbreak, Spain, June 2022.

During June 2022, Spain was one of the countries most affected worldwide by a multicountry monkeypox outbreak with chains of transmission without identified links to disease-endemic countries. We provide epidemiologic features of cases reported in Spain and the coordinated measures taken to respond to this outbreak.

Beyond viral suppression of HIV - the new quality of life frontier.

BACKGROUND: In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a new Global Health Sector Strategy on HIV for 2016-2021. It establishes 15 ambitious targets, including the '90-90-90' target calling on health systems to reduce under-diagnosis of HIV, treat a greater number of those diagnosed, and ensure that those being treated achieve viral suppression. DISCUSSION: The WHO strategy calls for person-centered chronic care for people living with HIV (PLHIV), implicitly acknowledging that viral suppression is not the ultimate goal of treatment. However, it stops short of providing an explicit target for health-related quality of life. It thus fails to take into account the needs of PLHIV who have achieved viral suppression but still must contend with other intense challenges such as serious non-communicable diseases, depression, anxiety, financial stress, and experiences of or apprehension about HIV-related discrimination. We propose adding a 'fourth 90' to the testing and treatment target: ensure that 90 % of people with viral load suppression have good health-related quality of life. The new target would expand the continuum-of-services paradigm beyond the existing endpoint of viral suppression. Good health-related quality of life for PLHIV entails attention to two domains: comorbidities and self-perceived quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Health systems everywhere need to become more integrated and more people-centered to successfully meet the needs of virally suppressed PLHIV. By doing so, these systems can better meet the needs of all of their constituents - regardless of HIV status - in an era when many populations worldwide are living much longer with multiple comorbidities.

Approaches to STI Prevention and Control in a Highly Decentralized State: An Integrative Review.

The Spanish health system is highly decentralized and Autonomous Regions (AR) are responsible for managing and implementing the National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) (2013-2020) via autonomous plans adapted to the characteristics of each region. The aim of this study is to report on actions taken to specifically address STI prevention and control in the autonomous plans within the mainframe of the National Strategic Plan. An integrative review was performed to analyse the health plans and HIV/STI plans of the Spanish AR during the period of validity of the current National Strategic Plan; 2013-2020. Plans were selected attending to specificity and whether strategies were in force during the year 2020. Our gatherings show that plans are largely focused to HIV prevention and control and, to a lesser extent, to STI prevention. The analysis on pre-existing resources for care of STI varied by region, and epidemiological surveillance systems for STI notification were not completely adopted by all of them. Particularly noteworthy are information campaigns, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV, and prevention activities in community settings. The remarkable lack of studies concerning STI resources and investment in Spain highlights the necessity of consensus-based tools for evaluation and future planning of STI prevention and control measures. The high degree of heterogeneity among plans for prevention of HIV infection and STIs also points out a high number of different areas for improvement in the development of new AR plans in HIV/STI.

[HIV infection in immigrants]. / Infección por el VIH en inmigrantes.

Immigration to Spain has greatly increased since 1995. Currently, more than 4 million foreigners are resident in the country. The immigration process increases vulnerability. The most common route of HIV infection in the immigrant population and ethnic minorities is heterosexual transmission. The number of people living with HIV worldwide (39.5 million people in 2006) and the number of those dying from AIDS continues to increase. In 2006, there were an estimated 30,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Spain. The number of cases of AIDS in immigrants has risen in the last few years. AIDS in immigrants from any country, and especially in those from sub-Saharan Africa, is associated with a greater frequency of tuberculosis disease. Knowledge of opportunistic pathogens with tropical distribution is required for a correct differential diagnosis. Throughout the European Union, the number of AIDS cases has progressively decreased since the introduction of highly effective anti- HIV treatment, but this decrease has been significantly lower in immigrants. The difference may be due to lower access to health systems caused by administrative, legal, cultural and linguistic barriers.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices on HIV/AIDS and prevalence of HIV in the general population of Sucre, Bolivia.

BACKGROUND: To analyse knowledge, attitudes and sexual practices on HIV/AIDS, and estimate HIV prevalence among residents of Sucre (Bolivia). METHODOLOGY: Population-based survey of residents aged 15-49 randomly selected during 2008/2009. Blood samples were collected on Whatman-filter paper and tested with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Knowledge on HIV/AIDS, sexual risk practices and discriminatory attitudes against people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) were modelled with multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 1499 subjects, 59% were women. All subjects were HIV-negative. Inadequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention was observed in 67% and risk factors varied by gender (interaction p-value<0.05). Discriminatory attitudes were displayed by 85% subjects; associated factors were: rural residence, low educational level and low income. Unsafe sex was reported by 10%; risk factors varied by residence area (interaction p-value<0.05). In urban areas, risk factors were male sex, younger age and being in common-law union. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of HIV infection is very low and unsafe sex is relatively uncommon. Inadequate knowledge on HIV/AIDS and discriminatory attitudes towards PLWHA are extremely high and are associated to gender, ethnic and economic inequalities.

[Epidemiology of HIV infection in immigrants in Spain: information sources, characteristics, magnitude and tendencies]. / Epidemiología de la infección por VIH en inmigrantes en España: fuentes de información, características, magnitud y tendencias.

Lately Spain, the proportion of immigrants has increased in both general and HIV-infected populations. Nevertheles, data on the temporal trends of the epidemic in immigrants and on their sociodemographic, epidemiologic and clinical characteristics are scarce and are scattered in various information sources that cover complementary aspects of this issue. The objectives of the present study were to analyze the available information sources that allow the epidemiology of HIV infection in immigrants in Spain to be studied, and to describe the current situation of HIV infection in immigrants, based on the available information sources.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices on HIV/AIDS and prevalence of HIV in the general population of Sucre, Bolivia

Background: To analyse knowledge, attitudes and sexual practices on HIV/AIDS, and estimate HIV prevalence among residents of Sucre (Bolivia).Methodology: Population-based survey of residents aged 15-49 randomly selected during 2008/2009. Blood samples were collected on Whatman-filter paper and tested with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Knowledge on HIV/AIDS, sexual risk practices and discriminatory attitudes against people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) were modelled with multiple logistic regression.Results: Of 1499 subjects, 59% were women. All subjects were HIV-negative. Inadequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention was observed in 67% and risk factors varied by gender (interaction p-value < 0.05). Discriminatory attitudes were displayed by 85% subjects; associated factors were: rural residence, low educational level and low income. Unsafe sex was reported by 10%; risk factors varied by residence area (interaction p-value < 0.05). In urban areas, risk factors were male sex, younger age and being in common-law union.Conclusions: Prevalence of HIV infection is very low and unsafe sex is relatively uncommon. Inadequate knowledge on HIV/AIDS and discriminatory attitudes towards PLWHA are extremely high and are associated to gender, ethnic and economic inequalities.